BoatandBoats Magazine: Catana 53

CATANA 53: THE NEW SAILING CATAMARAN CONCEPT

Boatandboats Sail, BOATS / by Luca D'Ambrosio / Sep 20, 2017

For years, Catana has been synonymous with speed and high sailing performances for all catamaran enthusiasts. In the past, however, ability was less important than the typical aggressive design characterizing these boats.

On the basis of the experience gained with Bali catamarans, the shipyard has therefore decided to provide its latest creations with the same attention to interior design and details.

So it is against this background that the Catana 53 was born, combining performance and ability without compromising that typical aggressive look that has made the brand so iconic and attractive all around the world.

We like this project very much and we’ve asked Luigi Coretti (Adriaship) to let us climb on board and visit this wonderful boat.

The Catana 53 is, first of all, a performing racer. Inverted bows with a break in the angle, twin dagger-boards positioned on the hulls and the coupé-inclined dinette definitively give this boat an aggressive look.

In terms of performance, Luigi assures us that, if not too loaded, this catamaran can always sail as fast as wind.

Furthermore, Luigi tells us that, with dagger-boards down and a 3.60-metre draft (yes, you’ve read that correctly), the catamaran can sail with an apparent wind at 33 degrees. Judging by the photos of the recent boat transfer from Cannes to Genoa, true wind really seems to become just an accessory of the incredible apparent one this cat engenders.

17.4 knots of speed are great, although registered on a broad reach or in a crosswind – the points of sail that are always challenging for a cat- and they suggest an excellent propensity to sail fast. Furthermore, if we wanted to make a simple calculation, we would find out that the catamaran sailed at 147 degrees with ture wind and reached 21 knots always with true wind.

The sail plan includes an upwind sail area of 165 square metres inevitably unbalanced over a mainsail of 100 square metres. The sail plan can even reach an extension up to 207 square metres thanks to the possibile implementation of headsails. The extensive use of fiberglass and carbon fibre contributes to make this boat considerably lightweight and not exceed 14 tons.

Not bad for a cruiser boasting very large volumes and spaces.

But let’s talk about interiors. After all, we already know how performing Catana cats are…

Available in different versions, with 3 or 4 cabins, U-shaped or centrally-located galley, the Catana 53 differs from her predecessors for the presence of a unique open space between the cockpit and the dinette. The large glass door that separates the two environments in the event of harsh weather conditions or at night before going to bed is indeed made up of three folding sections that create a unique unencumbered space. In short, the result is a real open space that astonishes in terms of depth and spaciousness.

The 8.65-metre beam of the catamaran is maximally used and create an environment of about 50 square metres without penalizing side-decks.

More specifically, in the version equipped with three cabins, a hull is exclusively

dedicated to the owner who therefore has at his disposal privacy

and abundant spaces, in addition to a cabin furnished with a central double bed, a writing desk and equipped with an en-suite bathroom with separate shower box.

The left hull, on the contrary, houses a VIP and a large double cabin that share the same spacious bathroom equipped with two separate shower boxes.

The three-cabin version also includes a crew cabin accessible from the outside of the starboard hull while, in the four-cabin version, the owner loses his writing desk to the benefit of the cabin crew, now accessible from the inside of the starboard hull.

The bow replicates the long-established solution that includes a centrally-located trampoline split into two different sections. The genoa is implemented into the stud while the comfortable bowsprit can house a gennaker or a Code 0.

In conclusion, we can say that we like this project very much. Now, we just have to climb on board and test this spectacular fast cruiser at sea.